Cabin Fever
by musichettta
Summary: "You did what with our last blanket?" In which the gang decide to carpool in an RV to Santa Monica, and all is going well- until it starts to unexpectedly snow, of course. With awful jokes, a diminishing candy supply, and a warning not to go outside until further notice (not even mentioning how cold it is), how will the kids handle being locked up? (Not well, for certain.) /AU


_/take me home, country roads/_

* * *

_"And now for the weather. Thirty-five degrees Fahrenheit will be the_ high_ this week in the Chicago area, and for late August, I've never seen _anything_ like it! What about you, Jim? What's _your_ opinion on this ghastly weather we're ha-"_

Twenty-one year old Tris Prior turned off the radio, humming to herself as she packed up the last of her stuff she deemed necessary for the trip ahead. This included, but was not limited to, an iPod, several books on self-defense (pleasure reading), and an energy bar.

Tris normally wouldn't have been doing anything during the week before school started, but then her favorite teacher, Professor Tori, invited the class up early to study whatever it was she was teaching that year. Tris had forgotten what it was, but the important thing was that Tori was teaching it, and any class led by her was full of fun, interesting topics, with the bare minimum of homework given. You couldn't just say _no_ to that, Tris had thought.

The only problem that had remained was getting there, but Tris could solve that one later, so she replied with a quick yes and immediately began packing. Now, with her bag full, and ready to go, she heard a _bing_ from her phone.

Tris groaned. Where had she decided to throw her phone again?

Tossing clothes and notebooks aside, Tris finally found her phone, and hastened to shove everything back more or less where it belonged. She read the notification with her heart lifted.

_You have not played Tons of Trucks in awhile, and Trucky the Truck misses you! _

Trucky the Truck was an avatar her brother Caleb had created on whatever free app he had available when showing her how to download games and apps on her phone. He was the tech-savvy guy in the family, and when Tris had first gotten her phone and couldn't make heads or tails of the contraption, Caleb was the only one to call.

Why hadn't she deleted that stupid app in the first place? It was only going to give her the false hope that her friends in last year's Physical Education class would offer her a ride to the early gathering. Evidently they hadn't really cared about her that much. Well, she didn't need them anyway. She could just…walk.

**You have one new message from Christina.**

Did she mention how much she loved her friends?

_Get in, loser. We're going to Santa Monica._

Beaming, Tris opened the door to find Uriah at the wheel of an RV, honking obnoxiously to get her attention.

"_Road trip!_" Shauna and Marlene chimed as she entered.

"Finally," Christina smiled. "We were getting worried. Were you going to leave us?"

"Nah," Tris responded. "I knew you guys couldn't manage without me."

They laughed, and Tris set her bags in the overhead compartment, flopping onto the couch.

"How are you doing?" Four asked her. "I missed you this summer."

Tris pulled a pillow up to her face to hide a smile. _He had missed her. _"I was busy. I missed you guys, though!"

Christina harrumphed. "Sure you did." Sighing and flopping down onto the blanket-covered seat next to Will, she sighed, pretending to scowl at Tris. "No one needs _us_ anymore."

"You're on your own," Will responded, patting Chris on the arm. Chris laughed, shoving him.

"Fine!"

Uriah, calling from the driver's seat (that was really four feet away and he didn't have to yell), said, "How about some tunes?" He then proceeded to blare from the stereo some punk music that just about burnt Tris's ears off.

"HOW ABOUT _NO_!" Marlene screamed back. Tris agreed.

Uriah turned the radio off, and the whole entire world must have sighed with relief. "Well then," he sulked. "If you don't like my taste in music, you can get out."

"Let's take a vote, my dear brother," Zeke smiled mischievously. "All those in favor of kicking Marlene out and letting Uriah and his…_interesting _taste in music stay, say _Aye_."

The van turned deathly silent save Uriah's protesting "Aye! Aye! C'mon, guys? Who's with me?"

"And all those in favor of making Uriah turn of the music and letting Mar stay, say Aye."

"Aye."

"Aye."

"_Aye_."

"Aye."

"Aye."

"Aye."

"Aye."

"Aye."

"Aye."

"Yup."

"Ditto."

"Aye."

"Traitors. Next time you want me to drive you guys anywhere…well, I'll probably do it, but I object to being used simply for my driving abilities! And for being mocked! I'll have you know that my-"

"Yeah, sure. You know, pretty much all of the people here have driver's licenses, right?"

Uriah tossed his iPod to Mar, grumbling about _if you're so clever _and _fine._ Tris stifled a giggle.

* * *

The windows, glistening with frost, showed a world of snow outside the RV, but it might as well not be there for all the attention the population inside the bustling vehicle was paying it. Tris and her friends huddled under blankets, sang joyous songs, and generally irritated the crap out of each other.

"_Flintstones. Meet the Flintstones. They're the modern stone age family. From the town of Bedrock, they're a page right out of history!" _Christina crooned delightedly.

"Help. Make it stop," Will moaned, covering his ears with a pillow.

"You know you love me."

"You wish."

"When will we _get _there?" Zeke moaned.

Four grinned. "A healthy thirty hours, at least."

Tris looked at him, eyes wide. "You have got to be kidding me."

"How long did you think it was? Santa Monica is a long ways away."

"Well, in my head it was a lot shorter."

"I've brought _candy _for the ride!" Al trilled.

Peter looked at his on-again off-again best friend curiously. "Not that this means I've forgiven you for saying that the Candors are a crap team _when you are in fact from there, _but do you have any snickers?"

Al snorted. "_Do _I? Please."

"Is that a yes?"

Lynn reached over and snatched the container, and stuck her head in, looking around suspiciously. She tossed Marlene a Reese's, taking a Hershey's for herself. "Yeah, there's a butt load of them."

Tris poked a hand in, groping around for some candy. She extracted a blow pop, which she threw to Christina, and a few Twizzlers, which went to Caleb, Four and herself respectively.

Shivering, Tris pulled her blanket closer to her, accidentally pulling it over Four's head in the process. "Sorry!" she yelped.

"It's fine," his voice came from under the pink woolen quilt. Tris stifled a laugh.

* * *

It was Will's turn to drive and Christina seemed to be feeling the loss of one of her best friends, hanging upside down from the seat and dejectedly singing lyrics from various musicals. Marlene and Zeke immediately joined, Myra and Four hesitating for only a second before uniting with them.

"Yes, I've been broken hearted, blue since the day we parted!"

"I think I'll try defying gravity!"

"It means no worries or cares for the rest of your days!"

"Tonight, tonight, won't just be any night."

"Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day."

"I'm singing in the rain, just singing in the rain!"

"Little shop, little shop of horrors!"

"Somewhere, over the rainbow!"

Tris surveyed the group fondly. They would never change.

"On my own, pretending he's beside me. On my own!"

Four grinned next to her. "Having fun?"

"You bet."

"SHOUT!"

"One boy, one boy for sale!"

"It's David or Goliath do or die!"

Shauna exited the restroom. "What did I-you know what? Never mind."

"Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down!"

Lynn scowled. "You're all children."

"I could have danced all night!"

* * *

"Hey, toss me some blanket, will you?" Uriah shouted.

"No," Marlene shouted back. "It's cold."

"Well, are there any extra blankets? And if you happen to come across a Winnie the Pooh one, please put it back in my bag."

Tris looked at him warily. "You like Winnie the Pooh? I never really pegged you as a-"

"Yep," Lynn sighed. "Times have changed. I remember when I wouldn't deign to sit on the same bus as these misogynistic creeps, but look at me now. Those were the days, though, let me tell you." She glanced at the boys. "No offense."

"None taken," they responded.

"So, who brought the paintball guns?" drawled Peter. "Al?"

Al blinked. "Uh…"

"You had one job, Albert," Uriah grumbled. "So, I guess this means no paintball." Edward sighed somberly and Zeke took out a tissue and batted at his eyes for effect.

"This honestly matters so much to you? For the love of-" Caleb started.

Zeke cut him off. "Four, the love of who? Tris?" Tris flushed a deep red.

"Ah, yes! Who is Four the love of? Who is in love with Four?" Uriah continued.

"Are you formally addressing him?" asked Shauna mischievously.

"That must be his official Erudite title, then." Christina (right side up but still red faced) pretended to deduce. "Four, the love of whoever. Well, do continue."

"Yeah, Caleb. If you're so smart, why don't you finish that?" jabbed Peter slyly.

"You all are impossible," Caleb tittered.

"With pleasure!" Marlene answered with a mock salute.

"C'mon, Caleb," Tris said, wondering how her brother was going to get his way out of this one.

He looked her dead in the eye. Oops. "Four, the love of…Tris."

Christina squealed, earning her a look of shock from Lynn.

Four cocked his head thoughtfully. "Alright," he shrugged, placing a quick, nonchalant peck on the top of her head. "I knew you had a thing for me, Prior." Tris noted the mischievous glint to his gorgeous eyes.

"Whatever," Tris managed to speak out, her face burning from the unforeseen contact and Four's arm, which was currently reading on her shoulders.

This obviously was not the indignant reaction Caleb was expecting. "Wait a minute. You can't just go and...kiss my sister! PDA!"

"Hypocrite," Zeke coughed, gesturing towards Peter, who shrugged.

"Hey, you've got to conserve body warmth, right?" It was Will, relieved from driving by Edward. He looked up and down at Tris and Four nestled together, muttered something that sounded like _finally, _and motioned for Chris to move over so he could have some of the blanket. (She made no response, apparently asleep. Will got this cute little protective look on his face and rested her head in his lap.)

Tris couldn't believe that her own friends would betray her like this. She and Four weren't _like that_! But yet last year, when he was training her and she got first in the rankings and she thought for sure he was going to kiss her...

Whatever. Whatever whatever whatever.

Tris unconsciously nestled further into Four's arms, which were warm and strong and wrapped around her snugly. When she realized what she was doing she froze. _What?_

Four's words whispered in her ear, sent a jolt up her spine. "You don't have to go away. I don't mind."

She fit her head onto his shoulder, trying to keep her breath even. All of this contact with Four made her senses...buzz. He smelled nice, like winter and peppermint and leather.

Christina winked at Tris from her position; pretending to be napping on Will's lap. Tris rolled her eyes back.

She would've been cold (the bus wasn't exactly the warmest place on earth) but Four radiated a cozy heat. She could feel his heart beating, in sync with her own.

Surveying the occupants of the RV, there was Edward, who was driving; Myra, listening to her iPod on high volume; Shauna, rolling her eyes at Zeke; Zeke, writing _I HEART DAUNTLESS CAKE _on the frost sitting on the window; Al, conspicuously sneaking candy; Uriah, having a chopsticks competition with Marlene; Marlene, winning at chopsticks; Lynn, grimacing at Peter; Caleb, chastising Peter; Peter, watching YouTubes of people getting their heads shaven; Christina, "asleep" on Will's lap; Will, absentmindedly stroking Chris' hair; Four, snuggling with Tris; and of course Tris herself.

Tris smiled contentedly. She couldn't wait to get back to Dauntless, but for now, this was pretty darn near the excitement of that. Or at least the merriment.

Then, of course, everyone's phones began to rattle ominously and loudly, and chaos exploded.

* * *

Warning: _Dangerously cold temperatures. Avoid going outside unless wearing proper gear or experiencing urgent circumstances, _the screen read.

* * *

The gang on the bus each took the news differently.

Tris, who hadn't left her phone in her bag again after the events of the morning, was shaken out of her position next to Four and read the message grudgingly, biting her lip with worry after she had finished.

Four, Lynn, Shauna and Edward took the news with a calm disposition (more or less), sighing and scanning it warily. (Edward pulled over before looking at his phone, of course, not that they were really moving in the dense traffic and heavy snowfall.)

Christina, Myra, Al and Zeke shrieked out of their cozy spots, and in realizing it was just their phones looked at the contraptions in annoyance. Chris looked perturbed to be woken from her "nap", Myra hastily lowered the volume on her music, Al placed the (significantly smaller) container of candy back with the suitcases, and Zeke started his smudged ode to dauntless cake all over again.

Peter, Uriah and Marlene didn't even check the message, caught up in whatever they were doing.

Caleb and Will hardly seemed fazed initially, though immediately started to plan about "rationing food" and "conserving warmth". (Tris took this to mean not overeating and hugging various friends repeatedly if you were cold.)

"So," Shauna said, "this is pretty extreme."

"Eh," Zeke responded, throwing his arm around a now blushing Shauna, "we'll be fine. Just, does anyone know where the extra blankets are?"

"You forgot to bring them, didn't you." Four directed the statement to no one in particular, but Uriah and Al reddened.

"I might have forgotten them too, I don't know where they are-"

"I may or may not have used them to wipe up the spilled milkshake…" Uriah interrupted.

"You did _what _with our last blanket?" Marlene demanded.

"You had a _milkshake_?" Lynn shouted, equally as outraged.

"Better get warm," Shauna murmured. "It's going to be a long ride."

Tris took that as a cue to rest her head on Four's shoulder, whose annoyed frown softened into a sight smile.

She drifted off to the contented buzz of Four's heart and merry sounds of her friend's antics.

* * *

Tris, blearily opening her eyes and surveying the scene before her, almost immediately wished she could go back to sleep. They had seveneen hours left in the perilous journey/road trip, and it was a madhouse inside the bus.

Also, Four was comfy, and her head fit in his collarbone perfectly, but that was beside the point.

Tris's friends were obviously not reacting well to being stuck inside. Not that they really would've gone outside even if they could, but since now they found they couldn't, suddenly there was a rush to get out, to do something. The freedom was taken away, but the interest was piqued.

Unfortunately.

It wasn't that they were being annoying. Well, they were, but no more than usual.

Lynn was at the wheel and driving like a madwoman; speeding up and slowing down, honking excessively, and making jerky turns. Myra and Edward were singing aloud to _Baby, it's cold outside. _Alwas throwing M&amp;M's at Peter and Caleb, who were in a very concentrated game of chess. Christina and Shauna and Marlene were talking about something that had to do with "relationship counseling", which stroked Tris as fairly odd seeing as none of them were in a relationship. Uriah and Zeke were debating about soccer teams. Four and Will were on their phones.

It was just that there was a feel of tension in the air-a feel that something big was going to happen because of all the nervous energy simply emanating from the group. The air was filled with temporary laziness and anticipation. The jittery atmosphere made Tris tense and fidgety.

Something was going to happen. Someone was going to cave to the impulse to break the maddening calm.

That someone, of course, was Zeke.

"What are you girls gabbing about over there?"

It was just a shout of amusement. A question of vague curiosity. Nothing special. A remark, Tris thought.

But a remark that set off fireworks.

"Ezekiel, I have had it up to _here_ with your idiotic questioning and just assuming we aren't talking about something worthwhile!" Shauna cried. The bus's occupants quieted.

This wasn't what had initially been bothering her, Tris decided. Something had set her off...but what?

She hopped off the couch and stretched, blushing at the dissatisfied whimpers Four was making at her absence in his half-asleep state. Tris walked to the group, where Lynn, earnestly passing all driving responsibility to a flustered Zeke, was rubbing her equally flustered sister on the back.

"What was that?" Christina, ever the tactless, asked.

"I have no idea," Shauna responded, pale-faced. "What do you think came over me?"

Tris and Mar pursed their lips. "Unresolved-" Mar tried to supply.

"If you try to finish that sentence, Marlene, I will-"

"What were you talking about before this?" Tris asked.

"How Peter and Caleb are constantly fighting and honestly need to shut up and kiss," Marlene responded.

Tris looked at Christina, who shrugged. "You know you were thinking it."

"Oh," Tris said, blinking. "Umm…wow."

"So, Shauna, you're frustrated with Zeke or something?" Lynn asked.

"When am I _not_ frustrated with Zeke? He's always ignoring me for whatever girl of the week he has clinging to his arm. And he _never_ thinks before speaking. He's always taking me for granted."

Tris spared a glance at Zeke, who looked worried.

"Anyway…it doesn't matter. I don't matter."

"Don't say that," Tris said. "You're his best friend, right?"

"I thought so."

"Eh, who cares about boys? Let's just give each other a manicure or something. I call it… Boy-Free hour," Marlene decided enthusiastically.

Christina looked at Lynn and Tris (who were about to refuse) with pitiful, longing, big puppy-dog brown eyes. "It will be fun!"

"Alright," Tris relented. Lynn grumbled.

Shauna, smiling slightly, brought out some nail polish.

"What is that stuff?" Tris asked, pointing to one with a label that said _Crack._

"I forget how out of it you Abnegation-born are," Christina smirked.

"When you put it on, it cracks as it dries, looking really sweet," Shauna supplied. "Chris, be polite."

"Politeness is just deception in pretty packaging," Christina repeated her motto.

Lynn sighed, selecting the darkest shade of black she could find. "Whatever. Marlene, do me."

"What did you say?"

"Oh, god. That came out wrong. Do my _nail polish._"

Tris and Christina shared a look and a giggle.

* * *

With newly shining silver and black nails, Tris began to lay the Uno cards on to the foldout table. "Who's playing?"

The gang huddled around the table, and the only one winning appeared to be Myra, who despite not having the heart to lay down +4 cards was vastly underestimated and able to get rid of her cards undetected.

Edward yawned and placed down a skip. Tris cursed. She was losing, with at least ten red cards but no blue, which was the category.

"Uno!" shouted Al. Tris groaned.

"Keep your cards to your chest," Four advised. "And change the color when you have the chance."

"...Thanks," Tris looked at him curiously.

The game had been going quite…crazily. Caleb had betrayed Tris at the beginning, Will, Christina, Uriah, Marlene and Lynn were on-again off-again allies, Al had betrayed Tris to join Peter, who had taken down Edward and, Tris suspected, was going to Myra next. Four was an ally as well. No one had gotten rid of all of his or her cards yet, but it was only a matter of time.

When it was her turn again and Edward and Myra had gotten out because of the rule Peter had made, which was over thirty cards and you're out, Tris glanced at her cards to find she had a color changing one. Peter could take her down easily, she realized, but Four's advice seemed helpful. She could trust him.

"Red," she said. Will cursed.

Players dropped like flies quickly after she switched it. She had skipped Al, and that was pretty much was the last straw for him, Will only had yellow, Marlene and Lynn were losing anyway, and Uriah had a really unfortunate hand. Shauna wasn't playing, and Zeke was driving, which left Peter, Caleb, Christina, Tris and Four to play a murderous last few rounds.

"Be careful, Tris," Four and muttered to her, along with several other pieces of cryptic advice, which unnerved and annoyed her, as he showed her so little favoritism during the game but found it a good idea to advise her. She was pretty sure he might like her. But what was he planning, pulling away from her like this?

_Tris, _she reassured herself, _it's just a game of Uno. Calm down, girl. It's not like you are in a Dystopian universe and this is a life or death situation._

Tris recalled something Four had told her about her fear of being betrayed at Uno, which seemed a bit drastic for a little card game, but it had been going on for at least an hour and Tris and her friends had a talent for being dramatic.

_Becoming fearless isn't the point._

Gulping, she placed down a blue +2 and said hastily, "Uno!"

Peter glared at her. "Really, Prior? Really?"

Four hardly glanced at his cards while Peter grudgingly drew two from the deck. "Skip Christina." Chris sighed.

The game went on like this until Tris was back up to twenty-seven cards, and was extremely nervous. Caleb glanced at her warily before setting down a +4 color change card.

"Ugh," Tris complained, grasping at Four as if she had just been shot. "I suppose the fire that burns bright inside me…is not meant to win at Uno."

"How about we just stop?" asked a shivering Christina, who looked ready to pass out. "I'm tired. And cold. And this is boring."

Four shrugged. "Fine with me."

Tris looked around the bus, searching for beds. "Where do we sleep?" asked Uriah, voicing her concerns.

"On the seats, or each other, if you don't want to freeze," Four replied with a hint of amusement.

"On each _other_?" Christina repeated.

"You did it with Blondie over here just six hours ago. You'll survive." Four said, making eye contact with Tris for a brief second. His eyes were a misty dark blue that Tris found oddly mesmerizing.

Christina and Will turned the color of a fire hydrant. Marlene rapidly opened her mouth as if to say something, but closed it almost as quickly.

Time to break out the hideous pajamas, Tris thought, not without a hint of apprehension and glee.

Then she remembered what she had packed and immediately grimaced. This wasn't going to be good.

* * *

"What?" Marlene demanded of Uriah's stare. "You don't like my clothes? Tough luck." She was wearing a tank top and sweats, and seemed to misinterpret Uriah's look, which was most definitely not in repugnance at what she was wearing.

"No…" Uriah managed to spurt out. "Not at all, Mar. _Wow._"

Mar peered at him suspiciously before finally shrugging and relenting. "Whatever."

Christina was poking Will, evidently bored. Will was reading and trying not to pay her any attention. Tris pitied him. _Poke. Poke. Poke._ Chris finally gave up on that and lay her head down on his lap, sticking her tongue out. "_Uhhhhhhhhhhgggg." _Will grinned and placed his book on her head, still reading. "Why did I pick you to sleep on again?" she grumbled.

"Lapse in judgment on your part, really."

Stifling a laugh, Tris turned to see Zeke giving a puppy-dog look to Shauna, who was having a hard time resisting. "Alright, Zeke. Fine. And I'm sorry too."

Four walked over to her in an old sports jersey. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Tris smiled. "This is fun."

"How much longer do we have, you think?" Al asked. "'Cause I have to drive, and I want to know how long my shift will be."

"About half the trip has gone by," Caleb stated, "and because of the eventual time difference, we have fifteen hours left in the trip."

Peter scowled. "Perfect."

"Calm down," Caleb responded.

"I'll just wake Chris up in the middle of the night so she can drive, then." Al said to no one in particular.

Tris bounded over to where Four was setting up a few pillows on some seats. "You sleeping here?" he raised an eyebrow.

Tris nodded a yes, her head high. Well, as high as it could go. She was by far the shortest on the bus.

The faintest smile appeared on Four's face. "Okay, then."

She shivered, her short old pajamas not keeping her warm in the freezing bus. Four noticed, and took a blanket, covering her up.

She sat next to him, and they slowly began to fall asleep together in each other's warming embrace, to the rolling hum of the landscape they were crossing and the sound of snow pounding on the roof.

* * *

Tris was awakened a few times in the night due to either a lack of blankets or the driver being switched, but overall she slept well. It helped that she was woken up by a well-rested Four and beams of sunlight on her face from the window.

The sun was out despite the snow, and the mood in the RV was cheerful. She could hear the conversation from the part of the group that wasn't still snoring, and was happy to hear that the temperature was rising.

Her stomach growled earnestly, and Tris looked down, embarrassed.

"Hungry?" Four asked. Tris smiled. "Yeah, a bit."

"Here," he replied, tossing her a Pop Tart that she nearly missed.

Sliding into a seat next to Lynn, Tris poured herself some coffee. "Good idea," Lynn told Tris, taking a long sip from her sister's mug.

"How much longer do we have?" Tris called curiously.

"Five hours, forty-two minutes, and twenty-nine seconds," Christina grumbled wearily. "And believe me, I know. I've been counting down for awhile."

"You can do it!" Uriah addressed Chris. "Keep driving so I don't have to!"

"I have less than an hour left. Then I can sleep, thankfully. And that wasn't helpful, Uriah."

Tris gratefully shoveled down the makeshift breakfast and began to catch up with Caleb, who she hadn't seen in awhile. The hour passed slowly, listening to him drone on about Jeanine Matthews, his favorite professor. Behind him, Peter mimed sticking a finger down his throat, and for once Tris had to agree.

Tris began to pack up her stuff and put on some extra layers, which included several gaudy winter sweaters. Four laughed when he saw her, which drew some surprised looks from the gang.

"This _is _our Four, right?" Zeke deadpanned.

Beyond them, the world sailed past in a flurry of snowflakes.

* * *

They were finally there. Pulling into a chilly Santa Monica, the gang whooped and hollered to show the world (or at least Tori, Amar and his boyfriend George) that they had made it.

"What took you so long?" Tori asked Tris as she stumbled out of the vehicle way past the time everyone else had exited. "Did you have fun?"

"We got detained," Four answered for her.

"Detained," Tori repeated skeptically.

"Yup."

* * *

_/to the place I belong/_

* * *

** Happy Winter! This is a modern road trip AU that came to me, and I had to write it down. It's a one-shot, and I did not originally intend for it to be this long (not at all) but here it is anyway. If you liked it, please consider leaving a review so I know it's not complete trash! You can check out my other story, Of Coffee and Mid-Morning Regrets, which in no way is connected to this one, for more modern AU if you'd like. I also experimented with some Caleb/Peter in this fic, which I am growing attached to because now my headcanon Caleb is bi. Go figure. Anyway, hope you liked it! I'm a beta too, if you're interested. **


End file.
